Xingese
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: Follows the FMAB story from the point of view of Ji Feng, a Xingese warrior who was sent by the emperor to protect Ling Yao at any costs. But...is she really only protecting him because of orders? Is there something else that leads her to risk life and limb for one man? Ling x OC
1. A Favor

**Hey, so I'm telling all you potential followers this ahead of time: _most _of my stories have chapters that are much, much more lengthy. I'm intentionally shortening the chapters in this story so that I can update faster. I hope that's ok with you! :)**

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The palace was just as large as I remembered it to be. The rich red painted pillars and elegant woodwork were familiar to me and brought forth a sense of nostalgia. I was pretty excited as I walked up the steps; of course, I didn't show that on my face. I had to remain calm for a bit longer.

"I'm here to see the Emperor," I said to the guards in front of his chamber.

"His Majesty is resting," replied the first guard, the one on the right. He had a childish face, which compelled me to discount his statement. I didn't, though. Instead I turned to the other guard.

"I received word that the Emperor is ill. It is urgent that I see him. I bring good news," I said, and then I smiled, "Perhaps that good news will lift his spirits when he most needs it." I readjusted the pack I was carrying on my shoulders.

The guard narrowed his eyes, "What news do you speak of?"

I dropped my smile, "What makes you think that I would tell you? That I _could _tell you?"

"I'll tell the Emperor that you're here. What's your name?" asked the second guard.

I sighed, "Ji Feng." I didn't want to have to tell them my name, but it seemed to be the only way to gain entrance to the Emperor's chambers. The second guard's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open. The first, the baby-faced one, just looked at me like an idiot.

"Y-You…"

"What? Who is she?"

"She's Ji Feng!" He pointed to me and I nodded. "The one who's been missing for years! The one who everyone assumed was dead because she went on a suicide mission!" Baby-face's eyes went wide and he turned his face back to me.

"Please, enter!" he said, pulling the door open, "The Emperor will be glad to see you."

"Thank you," I said and stepped inside. I paused and turned around, "Please don't tell anyone I've returned yet. It's best that my return to the palace be kept a secret for now." The guards nodded and I shut the doors. I sighed and pressed my forehead to the cold wood. For some reason, I was suddenly feeling nervous. When I'd gathered up the courage I turned around.

"Ji Feng, you've returned. I knew you had not perished. I could feel it in my heart." I could hear his sickness in his voice as he spoke in rasps. As soon as I heard that, I rushed to his bedside. I dropped my pack beside me and took his hand. It was withered.

"I had no idea it was this bad! All I heard was that you were sick!" I said desperately. His eyes were dull, nothing like how I remembered. I guess the palace _had _changed while I'd been gone after all.

"Oh, it's not the end of the world," said the Emperor. I smiled and nodded.

"Of course not, but you should have at least sent word," I said, bowing my head. I released his hand, remembering my place. I fell to my knees and bowed, touching my forehead to the floor.

"I bring good news," I said, attempting to drop the familiarity from my voice and hide the worry that I was feeling at that moment.

The Emperor sighed, "Yes, yes. What is it?"

I lifted my head and opened up my pack, pulling out the contents, "I've succeeded, Your Majesty."

"I wish you wouldn't be so formal," he mumbled, sitting up a bit. I wanted to stand up and help him, but I held back.

"You know I can't do that," I said.

"You could if I ordered you to," he said with a small smile. I nodded and hid my own smile. "Well, let me see it."

I immediately complied, and unwrapped the parcel I was holding. I placed it on his bed, "The Blood Sword, Your Majesty."

He gasped as he examined it, "It's just as the legend says. It's beautiful." The sword's blade was a ruby red, hence its name. The legend states that a warrior asked the earth for help to defeat his enemies and was given a mighty weapon in return, the Blood Sword. It spoke of untold beauty, and it spoke the truth. The sword shimmered in the light. Rubies were embedded on the golden hilt and on the sheath. A dragon made its way around the handle and a ways up the flat of the blade. It was truly a sight to behold.

"I'm as proud as I've ever been," he said, resting the sword on his lap. He slid it back into its sheath.

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask," I began, "Would you happen to know where Ling Yao is?"

The Emperor smiled solemnly, "He's doing what he does best."

I hesitated and then my spirits sank, "Don't tell me he's…"

The Emperor nodded, "He's off chasing some legend in some faraway land, risking his life in doing so."

I rested my head on the bed and sighed. The reason for my excitement had vanished. I hadn't seen Ling in _so _long, and he was gone. That idiot! He could have at least hung around to welcome me back. Then again, no one even knew I was coming back. Oh no…what if he thought I was dead too!?

"I have a favor to ask of you," the Emperor whispered, "But don't let anyone know, alright. Most importantly, don't let _Ling _know!"

I raised my head and looked him in the eye. I raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about?"

The Emperor held out the sword to me and I took it, confused as I'd ever been, "Your Majesty?"

"Would you go look after that child for me?" My eyes went wide.

"You wish for me to follow Ling?" I asked. My heart leapt to my throat.

He nodded slowly, "Be sure to protect him. He's gone to Amestris in search of a philosopher's stone. I fear that dangers lurks there, a great danger."

I bowed to the Emperor, "If his life is in my hands, I will do my best to protect him. I will lay down my life if I must."

The Emperor took my chin with one finger and raised my face, "Let me look at you, Ji."

I smiled and put my hand on his, "I won't be long. I'll bring that stupid prince back here soon enough, safe and sound."

The Emperor's eyes looked sad, "I'm sure you miss him. I'm sorry he couldn't have been here to welcome you."

I nodded and kissed his palm, "Goodbye, Father." With that I turned and sprinted out of the room. I slammed the door behind me and ran down the hallway. I did a small leap for joy and zoomed out the door. I wasn't going to waste any time. I had to find Ling…no, I _wanted _to find Ling. It'd been years since I'd seen him, and I couldn't wait to see him again.

Well, there was one little problem. Eh, it was just a desert.

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**Alright! The first, (tiny), chapter(ish) segment is posted! Be sure to R&R, please! Also, I suppose I should acknowledge something: Ji Feng called the Emperor 'father.' I dunno if you noticed that, but I'll explain that. (Don't worry! Ling and Ji are not siblings!)**


	2. A Message

**Chapter 2! :)**

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"There you go," said a gentle voice. Sweet, heavenly ambrosia flowed down my throat, easing the burning sensation that had previously plagued me. I tried to push my eyes open, but my eyelids felt like they were glued shut. I caught a glimpse of a tanned face before my lids slammed shut again.

"Wh-" I broke out coughing before I could even ask my question. Fortunately, my savior seemed to be psychic, because they answered my question.

"My name is Shiloh," he answered, "Drink more." I nodded and took the flask from him, sucking it dry. I gasped for air when I'd finished.

"Thank you," I said, nodding.

"Here," he said. Since my eyes were still closed, I didn't expect cold water to be splashed onto my face. I opened my eyes in shock.

"You had sand crusted on your face," he said matter-of-factly. I nodded in understanding and took in his appearance. He wasn't wearing Xingese clothing, so I had to assume that he wasn't from my homeland. He had dark skin, so I deducted that he spent lots of time in the sun…maybe in this very same desert, (but that was just a guess. He may just have naturally possessed dark skin because of his ethnicity). To my surprise, even with his youthful appearance, he had whitish hair. He seemed to be a bit younger than I was. He also had red eyes, though it was hard to tell in the shade of the ruined wagon I was taking shelter in.

"Thank you, Shiloh," I said, smiling. I didn't have any right to judge. Heck, I was wearing heavy armor in the middle of the desert like a fool. Still, I couldn't leave it behind. It was my livelihood. He nodded and readjusted so that his legs were crossed underneath of him.

"What's your name? What are you doing in the middle of the desert?" he asked, leaning forward. I looked at him.

"My name is…" I paused. Should I really tell a stranger my true name? The Emperor had said he suspected that a danger awaited Ling. "My name is Fa Chang. I'm trying to cross the desert."

"In armor? Do you think someone's going to attack you or something?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

"No, but I can't leave my armor," I said. Now that the water was starting to wear off, I was feeling to heat more and more.

"Well, perhaps you can travel with us?" he asked.

I looked up, "Travel with you? You have companions?"

"No one should cross this desert alone," he said sternly, "Especially not you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to-" He disappeared behind the jagged, sundried boards of the wrecked wagon. I, frustrated, followed after him. To my dismay, I bumped directly into a wall; except, it wasn't a wall. It was a person.

I held my nose, which was throbbing, and looked up at the man who I'd rudely slammed into, "I'm sowwy." The man lifted an eyebrow and I bowed to him. Something told me this man deserved my respect.

"Hmm. This is the girl?" he asked. His voice was deep and matched his manly, muscly appearance. I peered past him and saw a large number of people, wagons, and camels spread out behind him.

"Yes," replied Shiloh. I glanced at him nervously. He'd told this guy about me? But…we'd just met, hadn't we? He must have discovered me sleeping, (well, more like dying), and reported it back to this man. He exuded a certain sense of authority; perhaps he was their leader.

"She doesn't seem hostile, but…what are you wearing?" he asked, leaning forward and stroking his goatee.

"Armor," I said calmly.

He smiled and laughed heartily, which somehow put me at ease. He had a very friendly laugh. I've always believed that you could tell a lot about someone from their laugh alone. "Well, I can see that much! _Why _are you wearing that in a place like this!?" he shouted, gesturing around us to the wide expanses of endless sand.

"A warrior's armor is their honor, Sir. I would not leave my armor for anything," I said, a bit offended.

He stared at me and crossed his huge arms over his equally huge chest. He raised an eyebrow, "Not even your life?"

I hesitated. I couldn't lay down my life, not yet. I had to return to Ling's side. It was a favor to the Emperor!

"I mustn't die yet," I said, looking him right in his crimson eyes, "Not yet."

"Not yet?" Shiloh asked.

"There is something I must do. I _must _get to Amestris," I said determinedly. I heard some gasps from the crowd and a few shouts. I looked around to see what I'd said wrong. When I looked back at the man who loomed over me, his friendly smile was gone; in its stead were a scowl and a glare. I slowly moved my hand to the Blood Sword, but didn't draw the blade.

"We don't talk about Amestris in these parts," said the man, his baritone voice resounding. I glanced at Shiloh, but the boy was just looking at me helplessly. He looked like he wanted to stop this, but he couldn't.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it, but there's someone I have to find. I am on a mission," I said slowly. I carefully studied the man's every move: the twitching of his eye, the deep breath he took, the cocking of his head. He looked like he was about to attack me. "Do you understand? I am no ally to Amestris, nor am I an ally to you."

The man eased back a bit. "Father, she won't harm us. I can see it in her eyes," Shiloh said, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. I took my hand off of the hilt of my sword and raised my hands to show that I wouldn't hurt a single hair on any of their heads.

"You wish to travel with us?" the man, Shiloh's father, asked.

I nodded slowly, "I'm afraid that I'm ill equipped to cross a desert, Sir. I either travel with you, or I die."

The man stared at me for a moment before I saw the hostility break in his eyes, "Then you're welcome to join us! Well, on one condition."

I blinked, "What's that?"

"I need you to do something for me once you reach Amestris," he said, "Think of it as a small favor. Really nothing dramatic, just a little errand. You see, my kind doesn't really step foot in that place…ever."

"What do you need?"

The man smiled, "Deliver a message."

"To whom?"

"Roy Mustang."

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**Please, please, please R&R if you liked it, (or if you didn't...I appreciate all feedback).**


	3. A Thought

**Chapter 3 is the final one before we reach Amestris. The story'll begin for real soon. :)**

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We'd stopped at some old ruins for the day. Some of our travelling companions had begun to lose energy since the days had been especially hot as of late. It was a bit unnerving, travelling with people who could become openly hostile if one were to whisper 'Amestris.'

Then again, I'd only said it once and people were still occasionally giving me death stares. That was also unnerving. I was sitting in a shady spot under what was left of a crumbling old house, (or at least that's what I thought it was), when I caught a young man staring at me. When I made eye contact, his eyes narrowed and he frowned. Like an idiot, I took up his challenge. Thus, we started staring at each other. He glared at me. I glared back. I knew that I shouldn't—these people _were _helping me get to Ling—but I still did. I'd just gotten sick of people giving me sideways glancing and staring.

"Fa Chang!" someone shouted. I didn't look up. I saw someone crouch next to me, "Um, what are you doing?"

"I'm engaged in a very serious staring contest at the moment," I said, raising my hand.

"With who?" I pointed to the guy. Suddenly, he looked away. I perked up, "Ok, I won."

"You're a strange girl." I turned and frowned at Shiloh.

"I was really getting into it. Why'd he just give up?" I asked.

"He probably stopped because I'm talking to you," Shiloh said, crossing his legs underneath of himself as he looked at me.

"I doubt it. He was probably more serious than I was; I could feel hate rippling in the air between us. I don't think he would just give up because you joined me," I said, pulling my sword onto my lap.

"Well, he knows that I like you and I am the Chief's son," Shiloh said, leaning back against the cool stone.

I raised a brow, surprised, "Chief? Son?"

"You didn't know? You seem to be a bit thick," he said. I frowned, though I knew he didn't mean any harm by what he'd said. "Anyway, since one day I'll be the Chief, he probably chickened out."

"You've got Chiefs? Are you a tribe?" I asked.

"Not really. We're nomads," he said, "After the violence started in Ishval, my grandfather smuggled as many people as he could out of there and we've been travelling ever since. We've grown since then, though."

"Ishval. I've heard that name before. I think the Emperor mentioned it," I said, but I wasn't sure.

"I'm sure, if you spend time in Amestris, you'll learn more about it. We don't really like talking about it. Nobody here thinks of themselves as Ishvalan, though. We're just people who travel together. There are some of us who aren't even originally Ishvalan. Look."

I did, and he was right. There were a few people milling about who didn't have the save whitish hair and scarlet eyes. I smiled. "That seems nice. I suppose that's why your father welcomed me into your group?" I asked.

"My father always says this, 'What people look like on the outside, Shiloh, doesn't matter. You have to look for what they're like on the inside.'"

I chuckled, "The world could definitely us a bit more of your father's wisdom, Shiloh."

He grinned, "My father is a wise man. I can only hope to become as great a chief as he is when I'm older."

I nudged him with my elbow, "Something tells me you will."

He nodded, "So, what's that?"

I blinked, "What?"

"What you're holding."

"My sword?" I asked. I showed it to him. He gasped, "That's amazing."

"The Blood Sword," I said, "It's a sacred item, only a legend where I come from. I fought for years to retrieve it." I drew the blade to show him and it gleamed brilliantly in the sun. I ran my fingers along the shimmering, red blade.

"It's beautiful," Shiloh said. I nodded. "Isn't it odd that something so deadly, something that could take a man's life, could be so lovely?"

I smiled and sheathed my sword, "Shiloh, there's something you should know. Some small part of all beautiful things holds danger."

Shiloh smiled, "Something tells me that your words describe you exactly."

I smiled, "Perhaps."

"We're off! We've got to get moving if we want to arrive in time!" The boy who had yelled the announcement was running through the encampment, spreading the word. I watched as he sprinted past us, breathing hard but still shouting.

I stood up and brushed the sand off of myself, "In time for what?"

Shiloh stood too, "We have to arrive before our water supplies run dry."

I gawked as he walked away, "Run out?"

"There are a lot of us; did you think that it would last forever? Now, come on, or we'll leave you behind!" he said, raising his arm in a gesture for me to hurry up. I grumbled as I jogged to catch up with him.

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I was trudging along, more that tired of seeing the same sand with every footstep. I was staring at my feet, laboring under the weight of my armor. Shiloh, who'd been walking next to me to make sure I didn't pass out, tapped my arm. I raised my head, thinking it was just another drink of water he was offering me.

"Fa Chang, look," he said, pointing ahead of us.

I wearily looked ahead of us, squinting my eyes. On the horizon, distorted by the air that was shimmering in the heat, was a greenish-grey color. I stared, "What is that!?"

"That's Amestris," Shiloh said with a grin. My shoulders sagged in relief.

"Finally," I breathed. Shiloh laughed.

"It's your fault for wearing that armor!" Shiloh pointed out. I weakly raised and arm to silence him.

"I know. I'm an idiot," I groaned, "How long until we get there?"

Shiloh laughed, "You sound like a little kid!"

"A _dying _little kid," I corrected.

"You're not dying," he said, "And, soon enough, you'll get to do whatever it was that you needed to do in Amestris."

"Far Chain!" yelled a deep voice. It vaguely occurred to me that what he'd said was similar to the name I'd stolen, (from a young girl I knew back in Xing), but I didn't look up. I assumed he wasn't trying to talk to me.

"Far Chain!" he yelled again. A huge hand grabbed my shoulder and I halted.

"Huh?" I asked, looking up at the guy. It was the Chief.

"Here," he said. He handed me a sealed piece of paper.

"What's this?"

The man gave me an annoyed look, "The letter that you're to deliver to Mustang."

"Mustang! Right!" I said, taking the letter and tucking it away.

He looked over to Shiloh, "I feel like she's going to forget."

"She won't forget…probably," Shiloh said, looking at me. He stared at me for a moment before he looked back to his father, "On second thought, she isn't too bright." The two, like father like son, nodded in the same way, one hand on the chin.

"In my defense, my wits were greatly decreased by the intense heat," I said defensively.

The large man smiled and ruffled my long hair, "We're just kidding with you! But seriously, deliver that message." He disappeared back into the crowd. I stared after him and then looked to Shiloh.

"You guys were definitely not kidding," I said.

He shook his head, "Not at all."

I didn't have the energy to argue with him. Instead, I retreated into my head. My heart and my brain filled with excitement. I was going to see Ling soon. I'd never been to Amestris, but it couldn't be _that _big. I'd find him soon enough and bring him back to Xing. My heart sunk at the thought that we were going to have to cross the desert again, but it would be ok. I had a feeling it'd be a lot easier with Ling.

That idiot. I was going to find him and teach him a lesson. To leave his father's side when he was so sick. I didn't know what he was after, but it definitely was _not _worth losing his final moments with his father. I froze and shut that thought down.

Still, Ling was being an idiot, (as usual), and I had to find him. When Amestris came into view, I could only think to myself: _Ling is somewhere ahead of me. I'll see him soon._

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**Well, if you've gotten this far I hope that you like it and aren't just grudgingly reading along. R&R if you'd spare a mere review for poor 'lil ol' me. :)**


	4. A Lucky Break

**Aaaaaaaaaand...the next chapter. :)**

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Remember how I thought that Amestris couldn't be _that _big? Well, I was wrong. I was more than a little wrong. I guess I just thought that since its size was nothing in comparison to Xing, it must've been small. Even if it was several times smaller than Xing, it was still big.

"Good luck," Shiloh had said, "Try not to get lost." I laughed at that sentiment. There was no way that I was not going to get lost in Amestris. What had I been thinking!? This place was foreign to be, just as foreign as it was for Ling! What had made me think that I would be able to navigate Amestris any better than he could?

Well, it didn't matter any more. I was already in Amestris, and I wasn't about to turn around and head back through that desert. Not to mention I still had to find Ling. When I thought of seeing him again, I found a bit more of the courage I needed to push on through the busy streets of Amestris.

"Fresh bread! Fresh bread here!" People were shouting at me from ever which direction, trying to get me to buy something and anything in their stands. It was overwhelming, but I walked on. That's when an idea came to me. Maybe if I found this Mustang fellow that I had a letter for, he would know about Ling. There aren't that many Xingese people in Amestris—due to the desert—so if anyone had seen him, they would probably remember. It was a faint glimmer of hope, but it was all I had.

The only problem was that I had to find Mustang, then. Maybe it wasn't that great of an idea. I didn't see any reason to go off searching for another person. Still, Mustang was the only person I was remotely familiar with. By 'familiar' I mean I knew his name. That was all I had to ride on right then.

As I was thinking, a large group of men in uniforms rushed past me. "What the…" I asked myself. One of them rudely slammed into me and I almost lost my balance. They were shouting and looked to be in a hurry.

"Hey, watch it!" I yelled. Someone tapped my shoulder.

"Those men are military. You shouldn't shout," she said in a hushed voice. I stared at her and frowned. The military holding such status in this country didn't bode well for my visit. I just nodded and turned away.

I sighed and ducked into a nearby alleyway. The sheer amount of people milling about the streets was starting to get to me. Once inside the alley, I noticed that it wasn't nearly as dark as I'd expected it to be. It was nearly sunset, so it should have been a bit hard to see. There was a faint red light cast across the wall in front of me. Confused, I looked to my left. I gasped.

There, right on the floor, was a glowing symbol. Bright red light flooded the alleyway, and it seemed to get brighter by the second. I knelt down beside it and reached forward. It didn't cross my mind that I might be in danger by doing so, but I touched the symbol. It grew brighter, almost blindingly, when I touched it. I withdrew my hand and it dimmed again. "Strange," I muttered. I wasn't sure whether this sort of thing was normal for Amestris, but it wasn't something I saw in Xing everyday, (especially not in random alleys). The closest thing to it was Alkahestry, and only practiced people could use it.

"Excuse me, Miss." The deep voice forced me to look up. I was not expecting to see a man like him looming over me. I gulped.

"Hello," I squeaked. I really didn't like him. As soon as I saw the sparkles that seemed to float around him, I felt like running away. His mere presence was very unnerving.

"If you would move to the side, I would very much appreciate it," he said, the little curl on his head bouncing. I think he smiled, but it was hard to tell behind his mustache.

I inched away and watched as he stamped out the glowing red light. I felt a little empty, but I wasn't sure why. "What did you do?" I asked.

"I broke the circle," he said. It was similar to Alkahestry, so I somewhat understood.

"It was nice seeing you, but I'm in a rush," he said. With that, he saluted me and turned the corner of the alleyway.

"Wait!" I yelled. He was military—I could tell from his uniform—so certainly these circles were of some importance to the organization. Out of curiosity, I followed him. I scaled the wall beside me, grabbing onto whatever semblance of handholds I could find, and pulled myself onto the roof.

The roofs in Amestris aren't nearly as slanted as in Xing, and I'd run on Xing rooftops many a time. This was an easy obstacle to jump over. I followed alongside the soldier that I'd met, leaping from building to building and occasionally hiding myself from other soldiers. I wasn't really sure why I hid. I guess it was just a habit.

Let me just say this: I was not expecting it when a giant wall of ice rocketed towards me seemingly out of nowhere. The soldier I'd been following had diverted the wall of ice, which I hadn't even seen coming, with his bare fists! Unfortunately for me, the only direction that I could jump to avoid the ice was directly towards the soldiers below. I couldn't do anything but take that chance. I leapt.

"Watch out!" I yelled. The guy who I was falling towards looked up just in time to see me falling from the sky. I landed directly on top of him. Pain coursed through me, originating in my shoulder.

"What the hell?" gasped the guy below me.

I sat up, still on top of him, and clutched my shoulder. I stared at it and grimaced. Dislocated. "I recognize you. You're the one from the alley," said the soldier I'd been following. I looked up at him and anger rose immediately.

"What kind of maniac directs a giant wall of ice towards houses? What was going through your head?" I shouted.

"Will you get off of me!?" yelled the guy I was on top of.

"And you!" I growled, looking down at him, "Why are you so small? If you'd been taller, you would have broken my fall better! My shoulder is dislocated now because of your stunted growth, you midget!"

"Oh no," said someone else. I looked up to see a guy in a giant suit of armor staring at me, "You shouldn't have said that. You really…_really _shouldn't have."

I'd lost my temper, but that was to be understood, wasn't it? I mean, I was in an extraordinary amount of pain. Still, I'd gone a little too far. I stood up and grabbed my arm.

I clenched my teeth and, bracing myself, popped my shoulder back into place. I screamed. It was all I could do not to pass out, and I was now breathing heavily and sweating. "Who'd you call so tiny you can't see him without a magnifying glass?" growled a voice. I looked up to see the guy, in his entire blonde, braided glory, standing near me. A tangible evil aura was seething around him.

"What?" I asked in between bouts of pain.

"What, you say? _What!? _Lemme at 'er!" he shouted. He pounced towards me and nearly grabbed onto my arm before the armored guy snatched the little guy up.

"Ed, this isn't the time! McDougal is going to get away!" the huge metallic guy scolded.

"I don't care! She called me little!" he yelled. He glared at me and pointed, "I'll have you know that I'm still growing! Still growing!"

"Miss, what are you doing here?" asked the other guy, "It's dangerous."

"Clearly," I deadpanned.

"Come on, Ed!" said the knight-like man, "We've got to catch up!"

"Wait! I'm not done with her yet!" the small guy, Ed, shouted, "Alphonse, you traitor!"

They rounded the corner of the street. "Mustang sure has his hands full with those two," said the guy, "Oh, by the way, I'm Armstrong. Lieutenant Armstrong."

"Did you say Mustang?" I practically shouted.

"No, I'm Armstrong," he said, pointing to himself. I shook my head exasperatedly.

"You said Mustang! Who's Mustang? Can you take me to him?" I asked.

"He's around here somewhere…but you'll have to wait to speak with him until after these shenanigans are over," said Armstrong, "This is really a mess. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go and destroy some more transmutation circles."

"Wait, I've a message for Mustang!" I yelled after him as he ran.

"Just ask for the Flame Alchemist!" Armstrong shouted over his shoulder. And so I was left, sitting in the street, with a painful shoulder and a lot of questions. I couldn't believe my luck. I'd found him already…this Flame Alchemist character. If I could find him this easily, it wouldn't be long before I found Ling as well.

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**Leave me a review if you liked it. Thanks again. **


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